Morrison renshaw



(No Model.) M. BENSHAW. ,j ENVELOPE SEAL.

No. 448,406. Patentedjleo. 23, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MORRISON RENSHAIV, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO THE SWIFT- RENSIIAW' MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

ENVELOPE-SEAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,406, dated December 23, 1890.

Application filed October 11, 1889. Serial No. 326,703. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MORRISON RENSHAW, of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Envelope-Seals, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to a tell-tale seal for envelopes, &c.; and it consists in features of novelty hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Figure I is a perspective view of an envelope with my improved seal applied. Fig. II is a perspective view of the seal. Fig. III is a perspective view of the seal, showing both the upper and lower disks provided with prongs. Fig. IV is a perspective view showing a single connection between the disks and single prongs on the disks. Fig. V is a perspective view with no connection between the disk and prongs on one of the disks only, as in Fig. II.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents an envelope or package such as my improved seal may be used upon.

The seal consists of an upper and lower body or disk 2 3, one or both of which being provided with points or prongs 4. In Figs. II and V, I have shown but one of the disks provided with prongs, and in Figs. III and IV, I have shown both of the disks provided with prongs. The prongs may be in pairs. or double, or they may be single. In Figs. II, III, and V, I have shown them in pairs, and in Fig. IV, I have shown them single. I prefer to join the disks by a connection 5, which may be of any suitable material, and may be double, as shown in Figs. I, II, and III, or single, as shown in Fig. IV. A connection, however, is not absolutely necessary and is not shown in Fig. V.

In applying the seal the envelope is placed between the disks, and where a connection is used the edge of the envelope is brought up against the outer end of the connection, as shown in Fig. I. The disks are now forced toward each other, and the prongs penetrate the envelope and its contents, and their points entering the opposite disks are held therein, the seal being thus firmly attached to the envelope. The disks are preferably made of some soft material that will receive and hold the prongs. After the seal has been applied it will be observed that it will be impossible to remove the contents of the envelope without removing the seal, and the prongs of the seal having punctured the contents of the envelope the knowledge of its removal will be assured, as it would be a practical impossibility to apply the seal again and have the prongs pass again through the perforations originally made by them.

By using a connection between the disks or bodies the disks will always come one op- -posite the other when applied without any particular care being taken.

The seal may be used for purposes other than in connection with envelopes.

I claim as my invention 1. An envelope-seal consisting of soft body parts, and a prong harder than the soft body parts to penetrate the envelope and its contents, said prong connecting both of the soft body parts when the seal is applied, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. An envelope-seal consisting of two soft body parts joined by a connection and a prong to penetrate the envelope and its contents, said prong connecting both of the soft body parts when the seal is applied, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

MORRISON RENSHAV.

In presence of- GEo. H. KNIGHT, E. S. KNIGHT. 

